Chock for life and other boats.



A. S. HEBBLE.

CHOCK FOR LIFE AND OTHER BOATS.

APPLICATiON man AUG. I0, 1915.

1 02,998. Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Z l/VI/ IVTOR ram/5y A. S. HEBBLE,

CHOCK FOR LIFE AND OTHER BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-10' 1915.

Patented Oct.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

l-ll-lll l-H m 20 ez AMOS s. I-IEBIBLE, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

CHOCK FOR LIFE AND OTHER BOATS.

Specification, of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Application filed August 10, 1915. Serial No. 44,685.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AMos SHERMAN HEB- BLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chocks for Life and other Boats, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains more particularly to a chock gear for releasably supporting life and other boats on ships and elsewhere.

My invention comprises a novel construction of chock embracing, in the preferred construction, means for releasing both the keel of the boat from the chock and the customary grip from the gunwale at, a single operation of an operating lever'arm (there being one setof mechanism for each chock) so that it may be possible for the boat, when released, to swing outwardly without any necessity of the presence of several men at each end of the boat to elevate the samefrom the chocks. Life boats are usually mounted on chocks and held by the cables connected with the davits and heretofore it has been necessary, especially with some of the popular forms of clavits, for three or four men at each end of the boat to lift the boat from the chocks in order that the boat might be launched. In accordance with my invention I provide the chocks with pivoted releasable holding sections or jaws capable of being turneddownwardly from the keel of the boat so that the boat may be quickly launched without any necessity whatever for elevating the same from the chocks, and in addition I preferably provide grip connections which are released from the boat simultaneously with the release of the pivotal sections of the chocks from the keel of ,the

--boat, thus almost instantly releasing the boat and permitting it to be launched with the minimum loss of time and labor.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of a life boat seated upon chocks, one of which is shown,

constructed in accordance with and embody ing my invention; Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale and partly broken away showing the chock and its features in side elevation and as having been operated to release the boat; Fig. 3 isa top view of the chock shown in Fig. l in condition for retaining a boat; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through a portion of the same. taken on the dotted line 4et of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view through a portion of the same, taken on the dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 10 designates a life boat of customary type, 11 one of the chocks upon which the boat is mounted and 12 the deck on which the chocks are secured. There will be at least two chocks l1 employed, one being adjacent to each end of the boat. The boat rests upon the chocks 1.1 and is held at one side edge by grips 13 connected with the chock'mechanism or gear. The life boat is also suspended from davits, not shown, by the usual cables Various constructions of davits are in use, such, for instance, as the Mallory or swivel davits. My invention is applicable for usein connection with any of the known types of clavits, the purpose of the invention being to permit, with the least loss of time and amount of labor, the release of the boat so that it may be launched.

The checks 11 are at their inner portions substantially of customary character, while at their outer portions they are recessed, as at 14, and at the lower ends of their inclined supporting surfaces 15 are equipped with pivoted jaws 16 capable of being moved to vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, toform between the same and the adjacent edge of the body of the chock, a vertical recess 17 adapted to transversely receive the keel 18 of the boat. The jaw 16 for each chock is pivotally secured by means of a pin or pivot 19 to an outwardly projecting lug 20 of a bifurcated shoe 21 which straddles the body of the chock and is secured thereto by a series of bolts 22, the body of the chock being recessed to receive the members of the shoe 21, as shown in Fig. 4. The jaw 16 comprises a body portion serving as a seat for the keel 18 and having a projecting member 23 adapted to lap upon the seaward edge of the keel 18, as shown in Fig. 1. The shoe 21 serves as a very durable and convenient means for connecting the jaw 16 with the body of the chock 11.

Upon the side of the upper inner portion of the chock 11 there is pivotally secured, on a bolt 241, an operating lever of bell-crank type 25, one arm of which is mounted on said bolt 24 as a pivotal point and the other...

numbered, respectively, 31, 32 and are.

clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. At the junction of the arms of the lever I form on said lever a hook 33 which normally opens downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, but which, when the lever 25 is turned upwardly as shown in Fig. 2, frees the grip chain 3-l caught thereon.

The bell-crank lever 25 at about the junction of-its two arms has pivotally connected therewith by a bolt 87 the upper end of a rod 35 which inclines downwardly and outwardly and is pivotally connected by means of a bolt 36 with the pivoted jaw 16, the bolt 36 being spaced from the pivot 19 of the jaw so that said rod 35 may operate, when moved for that purpose, to turn the jaw 16 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 or pull the same inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1. The rod 35 is a connecting rod and actuated from the bell-crank lever 25 and its purpose is to position the jaw 16. The bell.- crank lever 25 while employed to operate the rod 35 is also utilized as a means for releasably holding the grip 13 in engagement' with the gunwale of the boat and to release said grip with each movement of the lever fromits position shown in Fig. 1 to that illustrated in Fig. 2 for turning the jaw 16 downwardly. The grip chain 34 has interposed therein a turn-buckle 38 by which the length of the chain may be adjusted to meet the conditions that may exist as to the distance between the hook 33 and the gunwale of the boat.

Under normal conditions the boat 10 will be held upon the chuck 11 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, which illustrates the proper prsition of the several features of my inven tion for securing the boat. On reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the lever 25 has been turned to its lower position and secured by the safety pin 29; and when the boat has been positioned upon the chock and the lever 25 is turned downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, the lever acting through the rod v35 turns the jaw 16 upwardly against the seaward side of the keel l8 and the hook 33 draws the grip 13 downwardly upon the gunwale of the boat. the movable parts being secured in this position by means of the pin 29. In case of emer gency or whenever it may be. desired to. ssee. heatla he siege withdrawn from the members 26 of the frame 27 and arm of the lever 25 and thereupon the lever 25 will turn or is turned upwardly on the bolt 24 and effects through the rod 35 the turning downwardly of the jaw 16 from the keel 1S and the freeing of the grip chain, so that the boat by simply the upward movement of the lever 25 becomes freed and may be immediately launched without any necessity for labor being emplo ed at the ends of the boat for lifting the boat from thechocks. The body of the chock 11 is at one side of the keel 18 and the jaw 16 at the other side of said keel, and hence when the jaw 16 has been turned downwardly and the grip 13 released, the boat 10 may be launched outwardly from the chocks without any lifting of the boat and with no loss of time and with the consumption of the minimum amount of effort and labor. When the boat is returned to the chocks, the grips will be applied and the lower ends of their chain connections caught upon the hooks 33, and thereupon the levers 25 will be turned downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that illustrated in Fig. 1, thereby tightening the grips upon the gunwale of the boat and folding the jaws 16 up wardly against the keel 18, the lever 25 being secured in its lower position. by the pin 29 and the parts thus being restored to the condition in which they are illustrated in Fig. 1.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. A chock for bbats comprising a rigid body secured to the deck of a boat and having an outboard surface to engage the boat at the inner side of the keel thereof, a memher at the lower end of said body pivoted thereto and having a surface upon which the keel may rest and a jaw to extend along the outer side of said keel, an angular lever pivotally secured at the end of one arm thereof to the upper portion of said body and having its other arm exposed to serve as a handle for manual operation. a rod extending from the angle portion of said lever to said pivoted member of the chock. for turning said member outwardly and downwardly to release the boat and cast it outwardly from said body and throw its weight upon the cables and dayits. and means for locking said lever in its restrained position holding said pivoted member against the said keel and in position to support the same.

2. A chock for boats comprising a rigid body secured to the deck of a boat and having an outboard surface to engage the boat at the inner side of the keel thereof, a member at the lower end of said body pivoted thereto and having a surface upon which the keel may restand a jaw to extend along pivotally secured at the end of one arm thereof to the upper portion of said body and having its other arm exposed to serve as a handle for manual operation, a rod extending from the angle portion of said lever to said pivoted member of the chock, for turning said member outwardly and downwardly to release the boat and cast it outwardly from said body and throw its weight upon the cables and davits, and means for locking; said lever in its restrained position holdingr said pivoted member against the said keel and in position to support the same, combined with a grip to engage the inner rail of the boat and having a depending chain and a, hook on said lever to releasablv engage the lower end of said chain whereby, when said lever is turned to release said pivoted member from the boat, it also releases the grip.

3. A chock for boats comprising a rigid body secured to the deck of a boat and havins, a surface to engage the boat at the inner side of the keel thereof, a member at the lower end of said body having a surface upon which the keel may rest and a jaw member to extend alonp; the outer side of said keel, a bar secured to the side of said body and having an out-board projecting end to which said member is pivotally secured at its lower end, an angular lever pivotally secured at the end of one of its arms to the upper portion of said body and having its other arm exposed to afford a handle for manual use, a rod extending from the angular portion of said lever to said pivoted chock member and pivotally secured thereto above the pivot securing; the same to said bar. and means for locking said lever in position to hold said pivoted member in operative position against said keel for retaining said boat against said body, said lever when forced inwardly and upwardly at its handle-arm being adapted through said rod to turn the said pivoted member outwardly and downwardly to release the boat and cast it outwardly from said body and throw its weight upon the cables and davits.

4. A chock for boats comprising a rigid body secured to the deck of a boat and having a surface to engage the boat at the inner side of the keel thereof, a member at the lower end of said body having a surface upon which the keel may rest and a jaw member to extend along the outer side of said keel" a. bar secured to the side of said body and having an outboard proiecting end to which said member is pivotally secured at its lower end, an angular lever pivotally secured at the end of one of its arms to the upper portion of said body and having its other arm exposed to afford a handle for manual use, a rod extending from the angular portion of said lever to said pivoted chock member-and pivotally secured thereto above the pivot securing the same to said bar, and means for locking said lever in @50-' said boat against said body, said lever when forced inwardly and upwardly at its handlearm being adapted through said rod to turn the pivoted chock member outwardly and downwardly to release the boat and cast it outwardly from said bony and throw its weight upon the cables and davits, combined with a grip to engage the inner rail of the boat and having a depending chain, and a hook on said lever to rcleasably engage the lower end of said chain whereby, when said lever is turned to release said pivoted member from the boat, it also releases the grip.

A chock for boats comprising a rigid body secured to the deck of a boat and having an outboard surface to engage the boat at the inner side of the keel thereof, a member at the lower end of said body and having a surface upon which the keel may rest and a jaw member to extend vertically on the outer side of said keel below the bottom of the beat, a shoe straddling and secured to the sides of the lower portion of said body and having an outboard projecting end to which said member is pivotally secured at its lower end, a bell crank lever pivotally secured to the upper side portion of said body and having one arm exposed to afford a handle for manual use, a rod extending from said bell crank lever to said pivoted member and pivotally secured thereto above the pivot securing the same to said shoe, and means for locking said lever in its restrained position holdingsaid pivoted member against the said keel and in position to support the same, said lever when turned inwardly and iiipwardly at its handle arm, being adapted through said rod to turn said pivoted member outwardly and downwardly to release the boat and cast it outwardly from said body.

6. A chock for boats comprising a rigid body secured to the deck of a boat and having an outboard surface to engage the boat at the inner side of the keel thereof, a memher at the lower end of said body and having a surface upon which the keel may rest and a jaw member to extend vertically on the outer side of said keel below the bottom of the boat, a shoe straddling and secured to the sides of the lower portion of said body and having an outboard projecting end to which said member is pivotally secured at its lower end. a bell crank lever pivotally secured to the upper side portion of said body and having one arm exposed to afford a handle for manual use, a rod extending from said bell crank lever to said pivoted member and pivotally secured thereto above the pivot securing the same to said shoe, and means for lc cking said lever in its restrained position holding said pivoted member against the said keel and in pcsition to support the same, said lever when turned inwardly and upwardly at its handle arm, being adapted through said rod to turn said pivoted member outwardly and downwardly to release the boat and cast it outwardly from said body, combined with a grip to engage the inner side rail of the boat and having a depending 10 chain, and a hook on said lever to releasably engage the lower end of said chain whereby,

when said lever is turned to release said pivoted member, it also releases the grip.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 30th day 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

